Students Respond To Drug Test Sign-up

WILLIAMSBURG — Denise Koch remains the chair of W-JCC's School Board. Ron Vaught is elected vice-chairman.

Almost half of Williamsburg-James City County's middle school students are in the pool for voluntary random student drug testing, which could begin as early as next week.

About 44 percent of middle school students and their families chose to sign up for the program, said Stephen Chantry, the school district's executive director for student services. And 26 percent of high schoolers and their families opted in to the tests, he said.

The response rates are higher than some leaders had hoped for.

After considering a mandatory program that would have tested all students, the School Board approved a voluntary random drug testing program in March 2006. The tests are paid for with a federal grant.

Out of the approximately 2,200 middle schoolers who returned the forms, 47 percent said they wanted to be tested, Chantry said. Out of 2,300 high schoolers who responded, 36 percent opted in, he said. But when including non-responders, 44 percent of middle schoolers and 26 percent of high schoolers elected to be tested, Chantry said. Williamsburg-James City County has about 2,400 middle school students and 3,200 high school students.

Also in school news, at Tuesday night's School Board meeting:

* Board members voted that Denise Koch will continue as chairwoman, and picked Ron Vaught as vice-chairman of the board, replacing Mary Ann Maimone. Joe Fuentes was picked as parliamentarian.

* Delays in Matoaka Elementary School site work due to a dispute over property boundaries resulted in a $40,000 change order request, a consultant told the board. *